


Among the Ashes

by hollowpeaches



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1940s, Angst, Freedom Fighters, M/M, Resistance, Resistance Leader Kim Doyoung, Sniper Jung Jaehyun, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-10-11 13:32:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17447924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollowpeaches/pseuds/hollowpeaches
Summary: Jaehyun struggles to fight for his country and for the man he loves.





	Among the Ashes

The cold wind brushes against his skin as he prowls his way on the heavily tilled roof towards the large hanok at the end of the street. It's quiet, and dark as the moon hides beneath a layer of clouds in the sky. It's already past midnight, and most of the neighborhood is neatly tucked underneath their blankets – even most of the drunks have long gone to bed or have already passed out somewhere. And to be still awake at such an ungodly hour usually only means two things: either you're getting yourself involved in some really shady business or you are a really shady individual out to kill someone.

Unfortunately for Jaehyun, it's _both_.

When he reaches the spot adjacent to the single lighted room below, he crouches behind the branches of a willow tree and positions himself. From above, he could see two silhouettes sitting behind the closed hanji doors. One of silhouettes extends his arms and pours the other a drink. He could hear them laughing heartily as they continue to loudly chatter. _So much for keeping things a secret, huh, boys?_ He thinks.

Jaehyun feels anger and disgust burning in the pit of his stomach. How dare these men call themselves Korean when they've taken every opportunity to leech off from the poor, and sell their souls to the Japanese forces? They drink and dine to their heart's content while the rest of the country suffer from hunger and violence at the hands of the Japanese. _Pigs_.

Still crouching, he brings out his rifle and steadies his position as he waits for the signal. _Perfect._

 _A comrade working at the house will come, pour them drinks, and will open the hanji doors for you to get you a clear shot. That's your signal. Kill him_. He remembers the instructions clearly, the stern voice of the man giving them echoes in his head.

Get into position. Wait for the signal. _Kill_.

Jaehyun's been through this multiple times before, and yet he could still feel the slight acceleration in his chest every time he goes on a mission like this. He'd like to think it's because of the thrill but he'd be lying if he says he doesn't feel even a tiny bit of fear of getting caught, of probably getting tortured, of every progress they've worked hard for going into shambles because of a single mistake - _his_ mistake. He takes a deep breath, and wills to steady his heart. He needs to calm himself, and focus. Jaehyun will surely get an earful if he finds out Jaehyun's been zoning out in the middle of a mission. He's a sniper, after all. He had trained Jaehyun for this for years to be the best the resistance could ever grace upon. An _ace_ , he would say to him. A warm feeling settles in his stomach at the thought.

He brings out his pocket watch and checks the time. It's fifteen minutes after midnight. If things are going according to plan, the signal should be sent out any minute now. He squints at the front sight of his rifle and steadies his aim.

The door on the other side of the room opens, and a female servant enters the room holding a soban with what appears to be filled with more alcohol. She bows at the men who pays her no attention. She lays the soban on the floor and proceeds to pour each of them a refill. Jaehyun could see her talking to them. One of the men nods, and dismisses her with a hand. She stands up, and walks toward the doors. She slid open the doors, and carefully glances on each sides of the patio. _The signal._

Jaehyun wastes no time as he finds his target, aims, and takes a clear shot. The sound of the shot ringing loudly in the dead of the night, and was immediately followed by the screams of the man and the woman who remain alive in the room. He takes his rifle, and stealthily runs away from the scene. Once he reaches a corner that leads to the nearby forest, he jumps off the roof and scurries towards the darkness of the forest. His heart is beating faster in his chest as he runs deeper into the forest. He could hear the screams and the sound of boots hitting the pavement far behind him. He doesn't look back and runs for his life.

\---

When he reaches the forest clearing, he spots a tall, scrawny boy leaning against a tree. Beside the boy lies a wheelbarrow filled with baskets, and is covered mostly with hay. The boy immediately spots him and he smiles and waves at Jaehyun. He scoffs at the stupid but endearing gesture.

"Hyung!" The boy calls out.

"Shhh! What the hell are you doing, Mark? If someone hears you, they'll know you're helping us and you're going to get yourself killed. You think a boy with a wheelbarrow standing in the middle of the forest at this hour isn't suspicious enough?" He spats, sounding harsher than he intended to.

Mark looks down, clearly embarrassed. "I'm sorry, hyung. It won't happen again, I promise." He says softly. Jaehyun feels his heart soften, and suddenly felt guilty for snapping at the boy.

A _boy_ – he reminds himself. Mark is only sixteen, even younger than when Jaehyun first joined the resistance. But Mark, as pure and innocent as he is, doesn't belong here – he doesn't belong to the resistance. He should be going to school studying literature, science, and philosophy, and not learning how to assemble a gun or how to fit into small spaces quietly or sneak into guarded mansions. He should be having fun with his friends of his own age, and not with a bunch of middle-aged men eagerly running towards their deaths. He's just a child.

 _The war knows no age, Jaehyun. It doesn't take pity on the weak - on anyone, especially not on the children_. He remembers his grandfather say. No child of Joseon will truly be free as long as Joseon is held captive by the Japanese forces. The children of Joseon will continue to live in the invisible shackles of oppression until their deathbeds unless they get rid of their oppressors.

Jaehyun reaches out, and Mark visibly flinches. He pats the boy's head and offers a kind smile. He then pulls out his gun and shoves it to the boy, "Good. Here, take this and follow the plan. Do you remember the plan?"

The boy nods affirmatively. "Ah! Wait, hyung, I was told to give you this." He says. Mark shuffles through one of the baskets and reaches for a bottle. He extends his arm and hands Jaehyun a bottle of alcohol. Jaehyun takes the liquor, and smirks. "Thanks. See you at the tavern, then. Be careful." He says, and walks briskly towards the end of the forest that leads to the center of the district.

\---

When Jaehyun finally reaches the end of the forest, he takes a good look of his surroundings before slipping into the pavement. He walks a few steps towards the back of an old building and takes out the bottle to take a few sips. The alcohol burns in his throat that sets him off into a series of coughs. _Ah, nothing like a good drink after work_ , he thinks. He runs a hand through his hair, and walks unsteadily towards the open.

He takes slow steps, occasionally waving from side to side, and kept his eyes on the ground. He could hear people shouting from afar. He's not sure if it's the police or just some drunks getting into a fight. It's been half an hour since the kill. The police has more likely been called into and is now looking for suspicious individuals who look like the resistance members. He scans his surroundings; most of the stores are already closed, and only about three establishments still have lights on - few lights blaring through the windows of a small tavern situated beside a dingy hotel at the right side of the streets, another set of lights coming from the doors of a small pharmacy at the left corner, and lastly, a few sets of yellow lights from the large tavern at the end of the street.

Luckily for him, there four other people littering the street at this hour - one is a drunk being carried by his two seemingly less drunk friends, while another man is completely passed out at the foot of the stairs of an antique shop. He wouldn't have any problem to make out an alibi and pass off as just a normal middle-aged man drinking away all his problems, and not a sniper for the resistance who just killed one of the officers working for the Japanese.

He's close. The light from the large tavern grows brighter as he nears its doors. _Just a few more steps_ , he thinks. The shouting has faded, but he could still hear the shuffling of boots from afar. He needs to walk faster. He downs the remaining alcohol from the bottle and throws it away. He takes bigger, uneven steps towards the tavern. His heart continues to beat faster in his chest from the adrenaline and the cold. The alcohol is starting to settles itself in his stomach, making him a bit dizzy. He takes a few more steps before he reaches the back door of the tavern. He pulls out the key from his pocket and unlocks the door. He looks around before quietly slipping in, and locks the door behind him. He leans against the door and takes a few deep breaths to compose himself. He made it through.  


Once he regained his composure, he walks towards the tiny corridor leading to the the main entryway. The tavern is almost empty except for a few servants clearing the tables and chairs, and sweeping off the stage. Jaehyun looks around and sees a man sitting by himself at the bar situated at the far back of the open space. He smiles to himself, and approaches the man. He clears his throat and carefully takes off his coat and placed it on the counter. "Were you waiting for me?" He asks.

The man turns his head towards him, and scoffs. "You wish."

Jaehyun laughs. He reaches behind the counter and grabs a glass for himself. He grabs the half-empty bottle sitting in front of the man, and pours himself a drink. He makes himself comfortable in the stool and downs the alcohol. Jaehyun could feel the burn in his throat and his head is starting to throb. "You're already drunk, aren't you?" The man asks.

Jaehyun chuckles, tracing the rim of the empty glass. "It's part of my job, I'm afraid," He looks at the man beside him and winks before pouring himself another glass. The man beside him snickers and grabs the bottle from him, the alcohol spilling on the counter.

"Hey!" Jaehyun protests.

"You should stop drinking and rest. You did a great job today," The man says.

The man stands up, and pats him on the shoulder. He's already walking away when Jaehyun turns his head towards the man and calls out, drunk and hopeful, "Doyoung! Admit it. You were waiting for me, weren't you?"

Doyoung stops in his tracks and glances back at Jaehyun, a smirk resting on his face.

"Maybe." Doyoung replies before disappearing into the darkness of the corridor.

Jaehyun could feel the heat rising from his cheeks - whether it's caused by the alcohol or something else, he isn't quite sure but he does know that he likes it.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! 
> 
> The idea has been playing in my head for months but I couldn't seem to find the push to actually start writing it - until recently when I was able to write the ending for this. But it was just that - the ending. I didn't know how to write the beginning or the middle lmao so I gave up and posted the part as a one-shot. 
> 
> Thankfully, I couldn't give up the idea and wanted to just at least try to make it work. So, yay! Here's the first chapter. I hope you enjoy! Hit me up on Twitter: @grumpyinu_


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